no new 135 SLR cameras, ever?

[dbonamo]

Nikon still sell the FM10, and the F6 may be still be available new. I'll make a prediction here that a new medium format SLR system will be available within the next 5 years.

Tom

The F6 still appears on the Nikon USA Website but the FM10 is no longer appears in there film SLR Line up

[rhmimac]

Many cameras are thrown away as well, so there might be shortages in a couple of decades. First the electronic ones will fail, like my FE recently did. Eventually your brand new FM10 or F6 will be purchased by a collector. Well, well.

A boxed FM3A or if I could find it on this globe a boxed FM2n could avoid the a.m. scenario then.

rhmimac

[Erik Petersson]

A boxed FM3A or if I could find it on this globe a boxed FM2n could avoid the a.m. scenario then.

rhmimac

I bought a FM2 in good shape to pair with my F3. Also, I have two FED's and a Kiev 60, so I am safe for the future too

[pentaxuser]

It's all supply and demand. As long as the supply of "old" cameras is plentiful and meets or more than meets the demand by newcomers then there isn't much incentive to launch new ones.

I propose that we all on APUG adopt the motto: "I'll live forever even if it kills me!" thereby forcing up secondhand prices to astronomical levels as supply dries up and making new cameras a certainty under the capitalist system. In Richard Leftwich we trust. He's worth looking up now we've lost the "hidden hand" of Adam Smith.

pentaxuser

[nolanr66]

I doubt there is much hope for anything. The N80 was supposed to be improved upon but it never happened. The digital equivalent is the D90 and it sells for $900.00. I wonder who out there would pay that for a N80 with a couple of improvements and a new name like the N85. . Probably next to no one. From my experience the camera's out there are getting pretty old and it's not easy to have one repaired very well. The old circuits in the electronic camera's are all getting pretty tired. Anyway I think that new models are not likely but you never know what is on the horizon.

[BobD]

I would like to see companies that specialize in refurbishing certain older camera
systems and offering them for sale. There are zillions of older cameras out there
available for peanuts because they need service. I think this could be a viable
business and I think the market exists who would buy them. Some individuals
are doing this but I think companies that perhaps specialize in a certain product
lines could work. It's a lot easier to refurbish a great camera than to design and
build an new one from scratch.

[elekm]

I don't think we'll ever see a major production of an all-inclusive line of cameras. Perhaps a model here, a model there. Economics will prevent such a thing from happening. But, as previously stated, there are plenty of cameras out there in need of good homes that are in perfect working order. It is by no stretch an infinite supply, but definitely nothing over which to get one's panties in a bunch.

Chris, I think you have it right. And there are a lot of cameras out there for those of us who love film.

[hoffy]

I know that this is a pretty funky idea, but some days its just nice to be able to go out there and buy something new…….

For me, personally, I do see the lack of new equipment more of a threat to at least 35mm film then the production of film itself. Yes, there is still second hand, but even now, a lot of the "bargains" that were genuine working cameras at bargain prices on ebay 3 to 5 years ago have simply disappeared. Now we see the left overs, which is a big lottery.

I have an idea, probably a very expensive idea, but wouldn't it be cool if someone could come up with at least a modular Film SLR. The basis would be the basic electronics, shutter assembly (maybe) and the film carriage system, with the mount and other lens specific details being swappable. You want to buy a Minolta MD mount? Just have that module fitted when you order your camera. Maybe it’s a Canon EOS system. Yep, we will grab it off the shelf, install and calibrate and ship it to your door. I think you get the drift.

[andrewkirkby]

There are hundreds of millions of perfectly good film cameras out there. You can get some of the best ones for very modest prices these days.

I'd say 35mm film photography is dependent on 35mm film being produced - not the cameras.

[Ric Trexell]

While 35mm may be on the way out, you have to look back 30-40 years to see what people were predicting. I'm 58 and got interested seriously in photography while in the Navy. That was in about 1974 that I got talking with a guy on the ship about his fancy camera (A Nikon F) verses my 110 pocket camera. Later I learned that the reason Kodak went to the 110 was because silver was expected to be harder to find, and thus the smaller negative bought them some time to find substitutes. Now you don't hear about that. Look at Polaroid with their SX-70 film cameras. A marvel in its day, but no longer. I look for something like a 120 film in a cartridge like 35mm has. That will make medium format cameras the hottest thing if they have a removable back that also takes digital. That would end 35mm if a digital back could be made for $100 for example. Once the market is saturated with digital SLR's, the camera companies can't just be selling software changes. A whole new ball game will be needed. Then you will see then bragging up film as well as digital. As for me, I will only be into photography for a few more decades. Maybe less and I'll just stick with film for most of it. RJT.